Obsession
by MacSas
Summary: A case from her past liaison with the BAU comes back to haunt Abby, putting her and her loved ones in danger. Story is a mix of CM/NCIS episodes over different seasons. Main 3 episodes that I have used are Omnivore, Bloodbath and 100. (Expect a surprise twist at the end!) Enjoy :)
1. Chapter 1

Obsession

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Authors Note: _Incorporating the episodes of both NCIS and Criminal Minds to make one cross over story based around Abby, Aaron and Gibbs. I have taken the liberty of re writing the actual "events" of the episodes so that the original characters have either been swapped for one of my 3 or no longer exist in the context of the particular episode. Hopefully the episodes will meld together as well on paper as they do in my head _

_Fans of each show will recognize the episodes that I have used – I apologise in advance if tampering with the originals causes "grief" to certain fans._

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Chapter 1

Abby knew she needed help.

For weeks she had been having the feeling that something was off balance. Considering the job she had and the people she had come in contact with on a daily basis, trusting her instincts had kept her ahead of the game, and on occasion had saved her life.

So when she felt like something was wrong, she normally acted on it. However, for weeks she had waited to see if this feeling would pass, simply because if she acted it would mean two of her most precious friendships colliding. She loathed over bearing men, and yet her two closest friends were just that – well, mainly just over protective and only of her, which infuriated her more. Both men knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself. But both also had good reasons for looking out for her. Recent history had taught her to fear what she could not control, and trust now was a rare commodity. Both Gibbs and Aaron had consoled her and proudly watched her pick herself up after a relationship had ended with this damage to her psyche. She had been with Hunter for nearly 3 years when she detected changes in his personality. During their last 6 months together, her normally sweet guy turned into an abrasive and almost cold hearted snake. What confused her was that it seemed to happen overnight. She suspected him of cheating, though he continually accused her of sleeping with Aaron, her best friend. After all, she knew only a guilty person would lay blame so harshly somewhere else. When the accusations started turning into violence Abby had worked hard to keep her turmoil from Gibbs. His reaction to McGee not hearing her calls for help when she was trapped and almost killed in the car called Otto proved actions spoke louder than words with her beloved mentor. Aaron had been too close to her not to notice. He had given her the ultimatum of ending it with Hunter or him ending it for her. Knowing that Aaron would not have ended it with polite goodbyes on her behalf, she had taken stock of what he had said during the long confidence boosting conversation after he found bruises she thought she had hidden, and found the strength to walk away. It hadn't been easy; she and Hunter had had nearly 3 good years before things went wrong, but she had had Aaron beside her every step of the way. It was a little later that she discovered the reason for Hunters Dr Jekyll type turn. He had been dabbling in drugs and had developed a liking for steroids.

Annoyed at the sudden depression thinking of Hunter always bought, she shook her head and mentally pulled up the facts that were causing the gut instinct.

The facts went back a few years to almost the beginning of her career. She had been loaned out to the BAU as a consultant in a case that Jason Gideon had been in charge of. It centered around a killer calling himself The Reaper. At the time Gideon had been at the twilight of his career and there were loud whispers around the BAU that he had gone over the line on more than one occasion and that he was on the way out. Abby saw something different; a man who had become so burned out by the world of darkness he worked in that he had almost forgotten what good looked like. Maybe that was why the Reaper had been able to fool him into making that deal. Deal with the Devil he had called it when he confided to Abby what he had done. The Reaper had simply called him one night and offered him a way to stop the killings. "Stop hunting me and I will stop hunting them." So, although he had no way of knowing what hell would later be unleashed, Gideon had placed an ad in the paper as Reaper had requested – and the killings had stopped.

A few years passed and then Abby had received word that Gideon had "disappeared." The burn out had finally gotten to him and he went off into the world to find himself. Abby hoped that he would succeed. For a man that had given so much in the pursuit of evil, he had been given so little back. He was one of those people that her heart tended to bleed for.

Aaron had inherited the case and his brilliant team had worked themselves at a hell of a pace to find Reaper. Because Abby had worked the original case with Gideon, Aaron had requested her help from NCIS, something Gibbs had not been happy about. He knew that the Reaper case had plagued Abby and had not been happy when Abby had agreed to help out a second time. When the Reaper had finally been caught it uncovered a deeper mystery. Reaper had been the alter ego of George Foyet – who was thought to have been the only person to survive an attack by the Reaper. Turned out that Foyet had killed his girlfriend, raced to a phone to call for help under the guise of the Reaper, and then stabbed himself. Abby was stilled stunned at how easily Foyet had fooled her and Gideon and then played the BAU. Of course they should have known that catching him wouldn't be the end of it. By the time she and Aaron had landed and returned to their respective offices, Foyet had escaped custody and was still on the loose.

Now things were happening that had Abby wondering if the Reaper had come out to play again.

First there had been the little gifts sent to her office; roses that she thought had been from Gibbs, a necklace that she thought had been from Aaron, notes that had been left on her desk complimenting her on how she had looked that day or what a great job she had done with a case. Considering she was used to receiving notes of love from Gibbs she hadn't given these a second thought. When she started receiving notes pinned to the front door of her home, she casually asked Gibbs about his new delivery method. When he told her that he would only ever put notes on her desk, she knew she was right to worry. Someone had been leaving the notes and gifts at her office and home – but it was neither Aaron nor Gibbs. That left her with the prospect of either having a secret admirer, or a stalker. Either one would cause problems for her with both Gibbs and Aaron. But there was a worse option.

The tickling in her gut told her that Foyet was about to reveal himself again.

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_What do you think? :)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors**** Note:** _Please remember that this is based on certain episodes of CM and NCIS. Some of the stuff will appear out of order as I find it fits better in certain ways with my story. For that reason, you will see that Hotch and Hayley didn't wed right out of school (as has been eluded to in CM episodes) but later in life. Also, readers will see in future chapters that I may leave out a few people from both teams - not because I don't like them but because they didn't "fit" with the story. _

_Thanks :)_

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**Chapter 2**

Aaron Hotchner was a man of instinct. He relied on that feeling in his gut when he was on a case. It was that feeling that had often led him to the "aha" moment that solved a case when it seemed there was nothing to go on. It was that feeling that had saved his life when he faced a mad man intent on taking down his team, starting with him. And it was that feeling that assured him that despite Strauss having a vendetta against his team, they would stay together and on top of their game. His unit was tight; they often complained about knowing each other's business far too much, but Hotch knew that none of them would trade that feeling of security for anything else in the world.

But Aaron didn't need his famed instinct to tell him that something was wrong with his best friend. He had known her for too many years to not know when she was hiding something. He was the person who knew her better than anyone else on the planet. Aaron and Abby made what many deemed an unusual BFF situation. He was so serious and true north; she was a free spirit who preferred not to do what folks expected her to do.

Aaron had first met Abby when she was attending Georgia State University. She had attended a class on Criminology that he and a colleague were guest lecturing. Although he had noticed her in the back row (mainly because she barely looked up from the mountain of notes she was taking) they didn't officially meet until later that night when he wound up in the club she happened to be a waitress in. She took his order and a bit of his heart at the same time. After her shift ended he asked if he could walk her home. They wound up talking well into the night and the early hours of the following morning. Despite a 10 year age gap, Abby had accepted his offer of dinner and the two began dating. For nearly 2 years they had been inseparable. It was the most comfortable, stable relationship he had had. Abby was such a joy to be with. And because she was 10 years younger than him, he had been the first man she had shared a lot of things with. He had been her first serious boyfriend, the first man she had taken to meet her family, her first true confidant, her first lover, and her first real friend. Neither of them could say when the physical romance had simply morphed into their current BFF relationship; it was like one day they just stopped sleeping together and became true soul mates in the best sense of the term. Aaron had moved on to marry Hayley, and Abby had moved on to date Hunter. Both relationships had been disasters in their own ways, but Abby certainly got the worse deal. It still infuriated Aaron every time he recalled the day he had seen the bruises that Abby hadn't been able to hide. A call to the local hospital after she had been forced to seek medical attention after a fight with Hunter had confirmed Aaron's worst fears. His bright bubbly friend had been dimmed by the abuse and depleting of self confidence. He had made it his mission to bring her back to the Abby he knew and loved, and the first step had been getting her to realise that she needed to leave Hunter behind. It had taken time, tears, and a lot of love, but Aaron had rallied his pal back to her former self. Though he knew that she would always carry baggage and insecurities from that disaster, he also knew that she wasn't a quitter. He knew that as sure as he knew that she was hiding something now.

Although Abby was more open with him than even Gibbs, and there were things about her past that he would take to the grave with him, Aaron knew there were times when Abby just insisted on taking care of things by herself. It was a coping thing she did to assure herself that she could still take care of herself, despite being surrounded by gun totting manly men. Aaron knew that, understood why she did it, but definitely did not like it. Mainly because the things she tried taking care of on her own were things that she definitely needed help with. And considering the line of work that she was in, there were many times that she had unknowingly put herself in harm's way just to prove a point. Aaron couldn't help but wonder if now was one of those times. He just knew something was not right, and was about to get to the bottom of it.

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**_NCIS offices_**

Abby was in her lab sorting through evidence collected by her team. New evidence on a new case always gave her a bit of a thrill. She always felt empathy for the victims, but a new case always meant a new chance to challenge and better herself and her talents. She loved puzzles and the thrill she got when her brain bettered an unsub. On this occasion though, she was enjoying being busy with a new case for another reason – if she were knee deep in a case she couldn't allow herself to be distracted by thoughts of Foyet.

So it was a shock to her when she realised that somehow, something had gone wrong with her evidence. One minute she was happily mixing chemicals, the next she was rushing for the door when she smelt the distinct odor of almonds that accompanied cyanide gas. As she exited the lab and hit the alarm to warn the rest of the office area, she realised that Foyet was once again distracting her.

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Gibbs was furious.

As he made his way down to autopsy where Abby was being checked by Ducky, he couldn't help the flash of fear that trickled through him along with the fury. The scientist checking the lab had just told him that another 3 minutes would have been all it took for Abby to have been killed. Thankfully she had not only smelt the almond odor, she had also known what it meant.

Once again Abby had gotten too close to the fire and he had almost lost her. How many times had he fretted and worried that she was in the line of fire? It had not been that long ago that he had dragged Abby from the killer car she and McGee had been working on. He had just exited the elevator when he saw Abby trapped inside the car screaming for help as exhaust fumes filled the interior. The feeling of terror that gripped him then remained with him now. The last woman he had loved like this wound up being killed by a crazed drug dealer while he had been serving overseas. He was damned sure that he would not lose Abby. If he could convince her to stay in the office and be safe forever, he would do it in a heartbeat. But he knew that the Abby that he loved would then be lost forever. She was not the type to sit on the sidelines. Still, it didn't keep him from wanting to wrap her up in his arms and keep her safe from the world forever. If only she would listen to his concerns about her safety and took them seriously. Instead she would smile lovingly and simply point out that she was not Shannon and that he had to let her live her life. He knew that she was right about him being over protective because he loved her and that she had to be allowed to do her job the way she saw fit. He also knew that she wouldn't knowingly put herself in danger. But being the veteran that he was he also knew that Abby was a target simply because of where she worked and who she worked with. It was bad enough that NCIS had their share of weirdo's ready to take them down; but for Abby it was doubled due to her work with the BAU. Gibbs shook his head as he entered the hall leading down to autopsy. It was kind of ironic that he loved Abby to death, because he was sure that she would end up being the death of him.

More evidence now suggested that the crime scene the team had been to that morning was staged. At first they believed it was to set up an employee at the motel. But when Abby mixed chemicals in her drug kit the cocaine found at the crime scene turned gaseous. This meant that the real target of the set up scene had to be Abby. Gibbs knew that Abby was keeping something from him, and he now intended to find out what it was.

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Assembled in the autopsy room were Ducky, Jimmy, and Gibbs. All 3 men had their eyes firmly fixed on the woman sitting on the steel table in the middle of the room.

Abby kept her eyes fixed on the floor and refused to say a word.

"Abby," Gibbs tried again, a little firmer tone to his voice this time. "The crime scene was a set up and you seem to be the target"

When there was still no flicker of interest from Abby, Gibbs sighed loudly. Looking pointedly at Ducky he asked, "A little time alone here please Duck"

Dr Mallard gave a slight sigh. Abby was close to his heart as well, and he wanted to know what was going on. However, he knew that Gibbs had special interest in getting to what was troubling Abby, and he wouldn't begrudge him that.

"Mr Palmer" Ducky motioned to his young intern as he headed for the door. "Have I ever told you about the time I rescued Grace Kelly from a bee attack?"

Mention of Grace Kelly and a bee attack instantly had Palmer's attention. "Seriously?" he asked as he quickly followed the doctor.

As their voices faded away Gibbs walked over to Abby, who hadn't allowed her eyes to drift up from the spot on the floor. Placing a hand on either side of her, Gibbs leaned into her space.

"Hey" he whispered.

Still she didn't look up. "I'm fine Gibbs" she whispered. "You heard Ducky. I wasn't exposed to the gas long enough for there..."

"...To be long term effects" Gibbs interrupted. "Yeah I heard him"

Using his finger he tilted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "What's going on, Sweetheart?"

Abby shrugged. "Why ask when I know that you have checked and already know what I've been suspecting for months?"

Gibbs sighed. "You're sure that this could be Foyet?"

"No" she said. "It could have been just an accident"

"Except you don't have accidents"

"Well, there is that. So that leaves Foyet. Unless I have a stalker out there"

"This has been happening for months and you didn't tell me?"

"Didn't want you to worry"

"Abby!" Gibbs sighed loudly. Walked to the other side of the room, and then stormed right back to her. "Why didn't you come to me?"

Abby smiled at him. "I wasn't sure it was Foyet ..."

"Doesn't matter Abbs. You should have told me what was happening. I can't believe that you have been keeping all this inside you for months and not said a word to me about it. I thought you could come to me with anything"

"I can ... just not this"

"Bet you went to Aaron though"

As soon as the words were out, Gibbs regretted them. He knew that Aaron had been a sore point in her relationship with Hunter.

"Abby, sorry, I just can't understand why you didn't talk to me."

"I thought I was being crazy. I wanted something to prove to myself that I was right. Besides, if I told you, you would have sought him out and beaten him with a baseball bat. Where would that leave us?"

Gibbs had to smile at that. She really did know him too well.

"Besides," she continued, "if it really is Foyet, I won't be safe anywhere from him. And I don't want the people I love to get caught in the crossfire."

"That's not your decision to make, Abby. The people you love want to be there for you. _I_ want to be there for you." He tipped her chin up again and looked into her eyes to ensure she heard his next words. "I _will_ be there for you, Abby. He will not get to you"

"You're trying to make me feel better" she smiled.

"Of course I am, that's my job"

Placing his hands on her cheeks he drew her closer to him. "Trust me, Abby"

He kissed her softly and repeated, "Trust me"

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	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: **Big thanks to those lovely readers that have Favored and/or Followed me or the story. _

_I really hope this continues to track along well - I had so many issues getting this chapter done! Nothing seemed to meld together properly (I think being super busy at me "real" job had a lot to do with the lack of thought process though :) ) The upside is, this was possibly the hardest chapter to write as I have the rest of the story flowing easily. _

_Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 3**

David Rossi entered Aaron's office at the sound of his raised voice. The person on the other end of the phone was certainly getting to know exactly how Hotch could lose his famed calm demeanor. And to Rossi that meant that the reason could be nothing other than one Abigail Sciuto. Rossi had known Aaron long enough to know that nothing could shake him quicker than something not being right with his best friend. And that shook Rossi to, though for reasons that so far he had managed to keep from Aaron. Just the thought of what his long time friend would say if he knew just how much it shook him was enough to make him break out in a rare sweat.

Rossi slipped into Aaron's office and took a seat, happy to wait for Aaron to finish his verbal sparring with the poor fool that dared raise his ire. He managed to tune out the conversation as he went over the notes contained in the file in his hands. A new case had come up and Rossi wanted to seek Aaron's thoughts on the suspect before presenting it to rest of the team. The suspect this time was a peeping tom that had turned into a serial rapist. So far he had been linked to 5 attacks. His target women appeared to be in the age group of late 20's to early 30's, all professional workers, all living alone. Other than that, there appeared to be nothing that linked these women. Despite deep searching through records of every kind, Garcia had come up with nothing. That alone made the case all the more intriguing. There was nothing that was hidden to Garcia's computers. Rossi had just left the rather disturbed technical analysts office with her cussing still ringing in his ears. He smiled at the thought of the normally together Garcia letting loose on an unsub that dared believe they could hide from her. As he flipped through what material they had on the case, Aaron's sharp tone bought Rossi back to the conversation.

"Just because you call and tell me she is alright doesn't smooth things over" Aaron paused while the caller spoke. What he heard obviously wasn't calming though; Rossi noticed his clenched fist as he paced back and forward. What the hell was going on? "Listen, you just call out of the blue and tell me that my best friend was almost killed in a lab accident ..."

_What?!_ Rossi thought, fighting the urge to jump to his feet.

"...And then you tell me not to worry because she's OK and you guys are dealing with it. How the hell do you expect me to react?"

Rossi had to work hard to control his breathing. _Don't let Aaron see you worked up over this. He may suspect ... _Rossi looked up and saw Aaron looking at him, his face taut with concern, his phone call now over.

"Did you get that?" he asked.

Rossi tried to act nonchalant as he shrugged. "Some"

"Abby was doing a drug kit in her lab when she smelt almonds. She got out of the lab with about 3 minutes to spare"

Rossi schooled his face to remain calm, even as every muscle in his body clenched at the thought of Abby in danger. _Calm, __**must**__ be calm._

Aaron returned to his pacing, thrusting a hand through his hair. "NCIS called to let me know that she was ok, but only because they suspect that the crime scene they got the drugs from was a set up." Aaron paused and looked at Rossi. "A set up for Abby"

_Damn it all to hell_, Rossi thought as he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Is she really OK?" he asked.

Aaron laughed. "You know Abby"

_Yes I do_, Rossi sighed inwardly. _If only I could tell you_.

Rossi rose to his feet as Aaron moved towards the door.

"I need to go and see her Rossi, need to make sure she is OK" He then noticed the file in Rossi's hand.

"A new case?"

"Nothing we can't handle on our own for a while," Rossi waved him out the door. "Go make sure Abby's OK"

Aaron nodded as he rushed out the door.

Rossi looked down at the file and frowned. How long before the team could get this case wrapped up? Quickly calculating a likely timeline in his mind as he entered his own office, he decided that his own visit to Abby could wait a couple of days. But a phone call couldn't.

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Abby knew without a doubt that the person knocking on her door was Aaron.

She knew that he would be demanding answers.

She sighed as she walked to the door.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

Bursting into her home the moment she opened the door, Aaron let loose on a verbal firestorm that she had learned years ago would die out quicker if she said nothing. Venting was how Aaron got rid of the fear that tended to be generated when those he loved were in danger. After a few minutes of ranting, Aaron finally calmed down. Taking a deep breath he walked over to where Abby stood and took her in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Princess" he whispered.

Abby smiled at the use of the pet name that only he was allowed to use. It had been a joke many years ago when Aaron had introduced Abby to a friend as "My Princess of Darkness" The name had stuck, and at times like this the use of it made her feel safer than a child curled up on her daddy's lap.

Kissing the top of her head, Aaron moved back and led her over to her sofa. Sitting with his arms still anchoring her to his side, he placed her head against his chest and asked her, "What happened?"

"The cocaine found at the scene was compromised"

"Why?"

Never one to waste words, Aaron always got to the heart of the problem. And he was far too good at what he did to believe the half truth she had told Gibbs earlier.

"I think Foyet is back"

She wasn't surprised by Aaron's lack of reaction. As one of the best profilers in the BAU and the lead investigator on the Foyet case, he had insight into Foyet that others simply couldn't hope to have. The only change in his demeanor that she detected was the slight hiccup his heartbeat made when she mentioned Foyet's name.

"Then you can't be here alone" he said simply.

"Aaron, I'm not going to hide from him. I can't live like that"

"Abby, you know as well as I do that this is a very sick, twisted man we're dealing with. There is no way I'm letting you stay alone"

The fact that he had automatically deemed they "they" were dealing with Foyet was a testament to their friendship. Neither ever had to ask for the others help, it was just a given that they would get it – wanted or not sometimes. This was one of those not wanted times.

Abby pushed away from him and got up from the couch. "I can't stay with you. You and Haley are still trying to work through what's left of your marriage"

"Doesn't matter" Aaron argued. "You are the most important person in my life Abby. I can't sit by and not do something"

She smiled. "I know, but I will not be forced to intrude. I would feel uncomfortable being in your home right now"

"Fine" Aaron sighed. "Then you can stay with someone else"

Abby laughed. "Who? Gibbs? McGee? Tony?"  
Aaron looked ashen faced. "God, no, not DiNozzo!"

"I'm fine here, Aaron"

Just as Aaron was shaking his head, trying to think of a way to convince his hard headed friend that he knew better, the lounge window smashed. A moment later an explosion rocked the room.

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"I got here as soon as I could" Rossi said, casting his eyes hurriedly around the room as he approached Aaron. "Where's Abby?"

"In her bedroom. She got hit by some flying debris. Paramedics are taking a look at her"

Rossi took a deep breath as Aaron led him to Abby's bedroom. The front room of the small bungalow was almost completely destroyed. The window area where the explosion had occurred was a hive of police activity. One cop took photo's while three others collected evidence. There were two other police agents going over the rest of the room looking for other evidence. Rossi suspected from the look of the damage that a crude Molotov cocktail or some other "dirty" bomb had been hurled through the window, no doubt thrown when the perpetrator had seen someone standing near the window. Of course, when police got round to canvassing the neighborhood they would find that no one had seen or heard anything. Such crimes happened with such speed that there was usually very little to witness. As Rossi followed Aaron into the small bedroom he schooled his features. The last thing Abby needed was another person wanting to save her from the world.

The sight that greeted him wrenched his heart though. Abby was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. Her right cheek had a bad bruise; there was a cut above her right eyebrow and a gash on her jaw line. A paramedic was crouched in front of her shinning a light in her eyes and tracking their movement to ensure no head trauma had occurred. As Abby's eyes tracked back to the right of the room she caught Rossi's eyes and smiled sadly at him.

"It's not as bad as it looks" she whispered. Rossi was sure she was talking directly to him and that she hadn't been aware that the words had been said out loud. Aaron was the one to respond though.

"That's because you weren't standing right at the window. If you had been ..."

Rossi shuddered at the could have beens.

The paramedic stood and gave Abby a smile. "Your all clear ma'am. I've treated the cuts, some ice will take down the swelling, and you don't appear to have any head trauma; though I would recommend that you have someone stay with you tonight just in case"

Abby murmured her thanks as the paramedic packed his things up and left.

"Well," she laughed uneasily, looking at the two big men taking up her small space. "This has been quite an evening"

"Abby ... "Aaron started.

Abby shook her head and instead focused on Rossi.

"I'd offer you some coffee, but I have this little issue in the front room" she smiled.

Rossi couldn't help but smile back. Despite having her home in disarray, hurting from her injuries and a best friend who was chomping at the bit to lock her away for her own safety, she still managed a little sass.

"Abby" Aaron stated her name more firm this time.

Head down, eyes down, Abby turned to Aaron and whispered, "Not now. I just ... not now ..."

Aaron crouched in front of her and took her hands in his. "Sweetheart, I need you to listen to me. You are in danger. We both know what Foyet is capable of. Today he's shown that twice ..."  
"You don't know Foyet was behind the cocktail" Abby argued. "There could be someone else annoyed at me. I do have other cases"

"Anything that would cause someone to really act this way?" Rossi spoke up.

Abby looked up at him. "No" she whispered.

"Then what Aaron says holds true. Even if this isn't Foyet's doing you can't stay here; it's now a crime scene. You can't stay by yourself, the paramedic said so."

"But she can stay with you" Aaron stood.

"What?" Rossi asked. Had he really just asked him to look after Abby?

"Rossi, it's perfect. No one would think to look for her at your home. Why would they?"  
_Why would they indeed_? Rossi thought.

As the silence stretched, Rossi knew there was an upside and a downside to this, and they were identical. The upside? He got to spend time with Abby. The downside was the same. Spending time with Abby could prove to be too hard to handle. Still he wasn't about to let Abby be out on her own.

Despite Abby's protest, Aaron packed a bag for her and Rossi led her out to his truck.

Making sure she was safely strapped in, he listened to last minute instructions from Aaron regarding calling in every hour and staying out of sight. As Aaron then walked to his car, Rossi turned to Abby. His heart again turned over at the damage done but he had to smile at her continued spunk.

"You really don't need to do this Rossi"

"Aaron doesn't want you to be alone tonight" his voice brokered no argument. "You're staying with me, Abby"

"Great" Abby sighed, turning to look out the window as Rossi drove off into the night. "Like I haven't been traumatized enough today"

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter**** 4**

Tender, gallant, nurturing.

These were not words that most would associate with the great David Rossi. Mainly because he had learned early in his career that being abrasive, disciplined and focused got the job done quicker and cleaner. Emily Prentiss had once referred to him as a fussy neat-freak who never leaves anything out of place; even colour-coding his notes (blue pen for evidentiary items, red pen for supposition and theory) He was not run by emotions but was in fact prone to them. And when it came to Abby, his emotions could rage out of control.

As they entered the foyer of his home, she stopped and looked around.

"Not too shabby, Super Agent" she quipped.

He smiled to himself as he led her through to the spacious living area with a huge kitchen at the side. A large staircase wound its way to the second floor at the left of the living area. Looking up Abby noted that rather than disappearing to a hall as most second floors do, Rossi's second floor simply consisted on a mezzanine type area that seemed to house 3 more rooms and an open air library, which overlooked the living area. Itching to explore she wandered over to the island in the kitchen where Rossi stood pouring water into an old fashioned stove top kettle. He had watched her looking at his home and wondered what she was thinking. Too big? Too flashy? He was should have been amazed that what she thought mattered to him. But he wasn't.

"I need to call Gibbs" she said.

"Soon" Rossi answered coming out from the kitchen. "First, we get you safe and settled. I've put some tea on, so while it's brewing I'll show you where you're sleeping"

Rossi almost tripped when Abby murmured, "You mean I'm not sleeping with you?"

He looked back at her, gauging her reaction as he said, "Don't you think you're a little too young for me"

Abby burst into genuine laughter as she stepped forward and hugged him. Looking up at him she noted simply, "You're definitely not too old for me"

Rossi put his hands on her shoulders intending to push her away, but instead just held her in place. Leaning in close, he kept his gaze on her and noticed how round her eyes got when he moved even closer. Whispering in her ear, "What would people think?" he surrendered to the need to kiss her.

On the cheek. Like a friend would do.

"This way" he announced, turning from her and heading to the stairs.

Abby was left stunned, amused and speechless. As she followed Rossi up the stairs, she took note of his firm butt and smiled. The feeling she had been battling with since the day she met this man finally got its vindication. After so long of ignoring it, she now had to agree; she definitely had a major thing for Agent Rossi.

What _would_ people think indeed!

The room Rossi showed her was spacious and came with its own ensuite.

A large queen size bed dominated the room. The walls were a neutral cream colour and offset the dark wood trimmings to perfection. The headboard, side tables and wardrobe doors were also made of dark wood. Lamps adorned both side tables, and the main light was a chandelier made from a graceful waterfall effect of crystal glass. A bookcase adorned one wall while a vanity adorned the other. Two comfy armchairs were placed near the bookcase, close enough to the old fashioned fireplace that faced the bed. Abby tried to swallow. This was one of the most beautiful rooms she had been in. It could have been a penthouse suite straight out of a top quality hotel. She was itching to try the bed, but was aware of Rossi moving behind her, placing her bag in the wardrobe.

"The bathroom has a shower. My room is right next door. If you need anything just let me know. I'm going to check on the tea and start dinner."

One last look and he was walking out the door.

"Rossi" Abby called.

He turned.

"Thanks" she shrugged.

"Anytime" he smiled and closed the door after him.

Once he left Abby gave into the temptation and threw herself on the bed. She was immediately swamped by such soft comfort that she had to submerge the groan that almost escaped her. Before she got too comfortable, she pulled her phone from her jeans pocket and called Gibbs. She knew that he would have heard about the damage to her home and that he would now be furious that he had not been able to get hold of her due to her turning her phone off earlier that night. In fact she wouldn't be surprised if Gibbs was at her home arguing with Aaron right now.

She smiled as she waited for Gibbs to pick up. Her relationship with Gibbs may not be as close as her one with Aaron, but when Abby had noticed the looks that Rossi had been directing her way she was glad for Gibbs' strong shoulder and keen ear. He had listened to her bemoaning the fact that a decent guy had looked her way and she felt powerless to act on it because of the baggage she carried from Hunter's actions. Gibbs had listened and then advised her to get up and try again if she wanted a chance at happiness. He had also warned her about the rumours of Rossi's love life that circulated the FBI and had drifted down to NCIS. Gibbs liked Rossi enough, but if pressed he would say that he didn't trust him with Abby's heart. The legendary profiler needed to prove himself. Maybe Rossi thought he was keeping his cool, but Abby knew that he was nuts about her. And the dawning realisation that she was half way in love with him was something she really wanted to share with Gibbs. Of course, now wouldn't be the best time...

"Abby!" Gibbs startled her by yelling.

"Hey Gibbs. You'll never guess where I am"

"How about you guess where I am?"

"At my house"

"Your insight is amazing!"

"Don't be sarcastic Gibbs, that's my job"

"Abby! I'm standing in what used to be a perfectly good lounge, you're off somewhere and your best buddy here is chewing me out because of some drama that apparently I knew about ... and you want me to check my sarcasm?"

Abby had to give him that.

"Where the hell are you?!"

"If you would stop shouting I will tell you"

"Abby!"

She blew out a breath and quickly filled Gibbs in on the nights events, concluding with her guest room at Rossi's.

"You're staying at Rossi's?" Gibbs asked in a quieter tone, obviously not wanting others to hear him. "The FBI's resident Lothario? Are you insane?"

Ok, that was a bit rude, she thought.

"Gibbs, it's not like he's about to ravish me. Though, you know, if he tried..."  
"Abby stop! That's an image I really don't need, especially when I would rather be throttling you for having your phone turned off. Do you know how mad I am right now?"

"Gibbs" Abby used a soothing tone, "you're only mad because you got a scare. However, now that you know I'm okay you can go back to being your usual sunny self."

She could almost hear Gibbs' eyes rolling in his head.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he finally asked.

"I'm fine. Rossi has been the perfect host. His house is a dream. He's making tea and cooking dinner" After a beat she whispered, "Don't tell Ducky about the tea"

Gibbs laughed at that. The good doctors' love of tea was well known to the NCIS team, and given a chance Ducky would launch into an epic story about teas that would hold the listener captive for at least an hour.

"Come see me as soon as you get to the office in the morning. I want to see for myself that you're ok"

"Fine. I'll need to head back to my place after work tomorrow to collect some things"

"That should be ok. The police have finished up their work here. I'm meeting Aaron over at the BAU offices to go over this Foyet thing, see if there's a connection"

"I hope there isn't, but my gut tells me there is"

"We'll keep you safe Abby"

"I know" she whispered. "I have never doubted that"

"Good" Gibbs ended the call.

Abby took a moment to take stock of her situation as she lay on the bed. Foyet could be back in circulation, he may have targeted her, her best friend and her mentor were having a closed door meeting about the situation, she was staying under the same roof as Rossi, and the super hot agent was downstairs right now cooking her a meal.

Yep, she smiled as she rose from the bed, life sure was quirky.

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"I'll only be a few moments, Aaron. I'll meet you at your office and we can go to dinner from there"

"Maybe it would be better if I just picked you up from your place." Aaron replied, his voice muffled due to the odd angle Abby was attempting to hold her cell phone at while rummaging for her house keys.

"No. I told you, I will be a few minutes. The rate you're going I'll be at your office door before we even finish this conversation"

"Ok, Princess" Aaron said. "See you when you get here"

As Abby closed her phone she reflected on the last two weeks. Things had calmed down to the point that Abby herself wondered if her gut instinct had been off about Foyet. Aaron and Gibbs had drawn blanks in their unofficial investigation, Garcia had discovered nothing in her snooping that would even suggest that Foyet was lurking in the shadows, and the police had found nothing in her home the night the cocktail had been thrown through the window to indicate that it was anything more than a prank. Abby sighed as she pushed her key into the lock. She had spent four wonderful days under Rossi's roof and the two had struck up a deeper relationship. She had known him for a couple of years; Aaron had introduced them shortly after Rossi had come out of retirement to join the team. Abby had instantly been struck with the older profiler. They had gotten close enough to enjoy beer, pizza, and a movie at her home every month on a Friday night and their friendship was a comfortable, easy one. Living together for nearly a week had only enhanced that. But now Abby knew that Rossi wanted more, and she was a little worried that she may not be able to give him what he wanted. Nonetheless, she wasn't about to let her fear stand in the way of trying again. Just as Gibbs had told her to do.

She swore under her breath when the door refused to open. Turning the key again she shoved a little harder and finally the door budged. As she entered the small hall way she placed her work bag on the small table beside the door. Kicking the door closed and crossing to the mirror on the opposite wall, Abby took a moment to look at herself. She wouldn't have time to change for dinner, so what she had worn to work would have to do. The simple black pants and navy blue top would do fine. She and Aaron very rarely dined in fancy restaurants, preferring to eat in more Ma and Pa cafes. She smiled as she thought of her long-time friend. He had been a constant source of strength and encouragement to her many times in her life, but never more than these last couple of weeks. Not once had he questioned her feeling about Foyet. He had simply decided that Foyet had learned to hide a whole lot better than they expected.

A slight movement from the hall closet behind her caught her attention. As she continued to look in the mirror she saw a foot in the doorway of the closest, the door slowly opened ... and then nothing.

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	5. Chapter 5

_NOTE: Sorry this chapter is a little shorter. I have been super busy at work and haven't had tome to write (grr) I hope you enjoy this bit - it is shorter than I envisioned but the story is still rocking along :) Again, for those that are fans of the Gibbs/Abby pairing, I respect your feedback but please remember that this is my take on a different spin for Abby and Gibbs. I am a fan of the Gabby pairing but sometimes you need to mix things up a little. ENJOY!_

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**Chapter 5**

The first thing Abby noticed when she slowly came to was the immense pain in her side and at her throat. This was accompanied by intense stinging sensations at various locations of her body. The smell of blood assaulted her senses. Her right eye wouldn't open properly and she felt fluid that tasted like blood trickle down her throat causing her to gag. Her first instinct was to call for help, but she discovered that her voice wasn't working. What had happened? Her thoughts were dazed and jumbled. She couldn't even recall where she was. She opened her left eye and looked around, trying not to move her aching body. Recognizing her hall ceiling, she took comfort in the fact that she was at least in her own home. But she knew she needed help. Something was terribly wrong. When she tried to roll to her right side the pain was so intense she cried out. At least that was what she hoped that sound was. She hated to think why her tortured throat was making her sound like a gurgling plughole whenever she tried to use her voice. Catching what she could of her breath, she rolled to her left side, and then onto her stomach. As she lifted her head she saw blood – everywhere. _What the hell?_ She thought as she tried to take stock of what was going on. _Phone, get to the phone! _As she dragged herself to the small kitchen she tried to think of how much time had passed. Had there been enough time for Aaron to worry and come looking for her? Would he just assume that she would meet him at the restaurant? How long before someone found her? As she painfully dragged herself along, Abby could feel the battle being lost. Her head felt light, her heart was pounding in her ears, she felt bile rising to the surface and her sight was become blurred and faded. As she looked at the phone, knowing she wouldn't reach it, her last thought was of Rossi and how she would never get to tell him that she loved him. "I tried" she whispered, as her head once again hot the cold, hard floor.

* * *

Aaron was a little annoyed as he pulled up outside Abby's apartment. He knew that she would get sidetracked by something and that they would end up running late for dinner. As much as he loved Abby there were times that he really wished she would be a little more focused outside her lab as she was in it. When she didn't show up at his office at their arranged time he didn't panic, he simply did what he always did, go to her. As he walked up the path he quite expected Abby to come bustling out the door all rushed and spouting excuses and apologies and her usual smile. But as he reached the door the silence hit him like a hammer. The fact that Abby was always surrounded by music meant that both her office and her home were a hive of tunes. It was rare to hear silence. Aaron knocked on the door. No answer, not a sound. Thinking that she may have already left and decided to go straight to the restaurant, he took out his phone and punched in her number. He turned from the door as his phone made the connection to hers. The ringing was what stopped him. The ringing that was coming from behind him. His training took over as he spun back towards the door. This time looking at the handle of the door he saw that the lock had been tampered with. Scratch marks gave a tell tale sign of someone breaking in. Dialing the number of the local police station he asked that a car be sent to Abby's address. He then took out his Glock and kicked the door in. Carefully he swept his gun from side to side as he quickly scanned the small hallway. There was no sign of Abby, but Aaron noticed her bag on the side table. He also noticed blood on the floor and the broken glass of the hall mirror also covered in blood. The mirror hung on a half wall that closed off the hall from the spacious lounge / kitchen area directly behind it. Aaron knew that Abby had had the "block" as he called it, added after she moved in so that there would be some privacy between the main area and the front door. The effect was quite stunning. Going to the left would lead him directly into the lounge area. Going to the right would take him into the kitchen. His heart dropped to his toes as he slowly moved toward the opening that lead to the kitchen area. He knew that blood meant more than one thing but he could only think of the worst thing right now. Abby had been hurt. Badly. As he slowly moved around the corner into the kitchen he noticed the blood appeared in a smeared line, as if someone had been dragged through the room. The phone on the breakfast bar had been tipped onto the floor. The silence was so prominent he could hear the disconnected signal coming from the receiver. Stepping around the breakfast bar and into the dining area, Aaron came to a heart wrenching stop. "Abby" he whispered, dropping to her side. She was on her stomach, her left leg bent at the knee, her left arm stretched above her head. In her right hand she clutched the receiver of the phone in a desperate attempt to call for help. Blood surrounded her. The area was grizzly, a crime scene, and Aaron knew that his training dictated he treat it as such. But his best friend was the one on the floor bleeding to death and training went out the window. He slowly and cautiously turned her over, shocked to see the knife wound to her throat. Blood was also escaping from a wound to her right side. Lacerations to her arms showed the fight she had put up. A sense of pride rushed through him at her feistiness at the same time that fear shattered his heart. She looked so pale, so cold. As he dialed for an ambulance he tried to find something to stem the flow of blood from her neck. A dishtowel was the closest thing he could reach. Bunching it over her throat, Aaron quickly relayed information to the emergency services. With their assurance that they would be there soon, he made a quick call to NCIS asking that Gibbs be advised of the situation. He then put his phone down and scooped Abby into his arms. Her eyes fluttered open. "Aaron?"

"I'm right here"

Her eyes fluttered closed again. Aaron panicked. "Stay with me Abby, stay with me" No response. "If you can hear me just squeeze my hand, ok?" A heartbeat later he felt a slight squeeze on his hand. "That's it baby, just keep squeezing"

As her eyes closed again Aaron uttered a prayer that help would arrive quickly.


End file.
